Wake Forest University
Clemson (NCAA Third Round)
Clemson Ends Wake Forest's Men's Soccer Season
11/30/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Nov. 30, 2002
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The season came to a close for the #1-ranked Wake Forest men's soccer team on Saturday night with a 2-1 overtime loss at the hands of the Clemson Tigers.
Sophomore Brett Branan scored his second goal of the night at the 99:28 mark, with just 32 seconds remaining in the first overtime. The goal followed a Kenneth Cutler corner kick. Branan, with a sizable height advantage in the penalty area, jumped higher than three Deacon defenders and headed the game-winning goal.
Clemson got on the board first in the sixth minute of play following a free kick. Branan corralled a loose ball in the penalty area and lined into the middle of the goal.
Branan came into the game with just two goals on the season.
The Deacons trailed for nearly the entire first half until the final moments before halftime. Amir Lowery headed in a Brian Carroll free kick to even the score at one. The goal came just 24 seconds before halftime.
Wake Forest outshot Clemson in both halves and the overtime period. The final total was 16-8 in favor of the Deacons. Wake Forest held a 9-4 advantage in corner kicks.
The Deacons had several golden opportunities to take the lead in the second half. Just three minutes into the second half, Justin Moose's shot from a sharp angle clanged off the post. In the 60th minute, Moose again came close to giving Wake Forest the lead but his shot from 15 yards out whistled just wide.
Midway through the overtime, Brian Carroll had a great chance to end the game for Wake Forest when Vicente Bastidas lofted a pass down the right side. Carroll ran onto it and Clemson goalkeeper Doug Warren came out to cut the angle. Carroll's shot went inches wide of the goal on the right side.
The Deacons, the top seed in the entire NCAA Tournament, end their historic season with a 15-2-4 record. The team set a new record for wins in a season, became the first Wake Forest squad to rank number one nationally and was the first Deacon team to win the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season.
Clemson (14-4-3) moves on to the quarterfinals for the fourth time in the past six years under head coach Trevor Adair.
